Employees

By John Vomhof Jr. Lifestyle

31 May: Memorial Day has a deeper meaning for this Best Buy manager

For many Americans, Memorial Day is a day for picnics and backyard cookouts with friends and family. But it means a whole lot more to Ralph Gonzalez-Viau.

The Best Buy general manager spent four years in the Army when he was a young man. He served most of that time as a casket bearer at Arlington National Cemetery, where he participated in more than 100 funerals for fallen soldiers and decorated veterans.

“I remember seeing veterans come to the funerals because their friends and brethren fell, and they didn’t want them to be forgotten,” he said.

By KATIE KORANDA Lifestyle

07 May: Motherhood takes on new meaning for this sales manager

Elizabeth Biederman used to worry about becoming a mom. How would she balance her job and a baby? Could she do both?

Now, with a 2-year-old at home and a sales manager role at a Best Buy in Dover, Delaware, she no longer worries about it.

“Best Buy has been a great place to work as a mom,” she said.

Elizabeth has left work early to take her son, Zachary, to see the Easter Bunny and been late because of potty training.

By Emily Monday Homepage Featured Top News Lifestyle

28 Apr: Living my values: Best Buy leaders celebrate their Asian American heritage

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month this May, we want to take the time to reflect on the significant contributions and achievements AAPI Americans have made — and continue to make — to our country, our communities and Best Buy.

This observance comes at a time that has been significantly difficult for the AAPI community, with anti-Asian hate crimes on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now, it’s more important than ever to share and celebrate the voices of the AAPI community.

We’re proud to highlight four AAPI leaders who shared how their family, culture and experiences have shaped who they are today.

By Emily Benda Lifestyle

28 Apr: Creativity, Connection Fuel This Best Buy Employee's Passion

Since he was young, Paul Asao has always loved beautiful things.

He credits this to the creatives in his life who showed him how to express a passion for arts, including his mother, Rose. She was a talented artist who used art, including sumi-e paintings (Japanese ink painting) and calligraphy, to honor her Japanese American heritage.

Now as a creative director for Best Buy Creative Services, Paul is constantly creating and using art to tell the Best Buy story.

“A close friend of mine in the advertising industry once told me, ‘Never stop doing what you like or want to do,’” Paul said.

By KATIE KORANDA hideFeaturedImage Lifestyle

28 Apr: She’s proud to carry on her family’s trailblazing legacy

If you’ve met Jen Teves, you’ve met her grandmother, Vicenta. The two were so close that Jen can see how her grandmother, who died in 2011, shows up in her day-to-day life.

When Vicenta, a teacher in the Philippines, taught Jen math as a child, she wasn’t allowed to have calculators or count on her fingers. She would put her hands behind her back and work the problems out in her head.

Jen, a research director at Best Buy, still uses these skills and others her grandmother taught her.

By Kaylie Brazil Company News

28 Apr: Asian ERG brings community, bridges cultures

Best Buy employees typically join Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for allyship, belonging and community — sometimes referred to as the ABCs of ERGs. And the Asian ERG’s members get all of that and then some.

Best Buy’s Asian ERG (AERG) has almost 1,000 members and aims to represent and support everyone involved. That includes highlighting more than 48 countries and their respective cultural celebrations, from Lunar New Year and Diwali to Hmong New Year and Philippine Independence Day.

The group offers an outlet for purposeful interactions and a chance to learn more from one another.

By Nadvia Davis Lifestyle

07 Apr: Geek Squad Agent rescues mother, daughter in rollover crash

Geek Squad Agent Andrew Ward was driving down an icy Kansas highway in February when the car in front of him was clipped by another vehicle and flipped over. It landed with its wheels in the air and roof caved into the concrete.

His heart thumping, Andrew, who was on his way to help with a refrigerator installation, pulled over.

“My first instinct was to jump out and help. No matter who it was,” he said. “This could be anybody. It could have been my wife or my neighbor.”

By Ale Valeriano Lifestyle

07 Apr: Employee with Alopecia Boldly Ventures Outside Her Comfort Zone

If there’s one thing Janine Pipkin has learned in the past year, it’s that there is growth in jumping out of your comfort zone.

In January, Janine, a talent sourcing manager who has worked at Best Buy for five years, decided that after dealing with hair loss from alopecia for the last 15 years she was going to “bare it all.” She shaved her head and posted about it on social media.

Her LinkedIn post, which has more than 13,330 reactions and 1,675 comments, has been inspirational to her personal network and beyond.

By Emily Monday Lifestyle

06 Apr: Over 25 years, Best Buy career has provided her more than a paycheck

As Vicki Brown, home services senior manager, reflects on 25 years and counting with Best Buy, one word stands out to sum up her experience: possibilities.

In 1994, Vicki found herself making a career pivot. After years of living in the Bahamas and running a small hotel, she and her husband decided they wanted their children to attend school in the U.S.

So, Vicki took the plunge and moved with her three children to Florida, while her husband remained in the Bahamas to manage the hotel.

By Becca Johnson Demo People 3 Lifestyle

04 Mar: Flipping the script: Best Buy developer is on a mission

From the time Molly Hayes could crawl, she would go exploring, take things apart and try to put them back together. And while some children might prefer a song or story when they had trouble falling asleep, Molly calmed her mind in a different way.

“I would ask my mom for long division problems, and I would work through those in my head until I passed out,” she said. “Luckily for me, my mom was a teacher and noticed my aptitude.”

By Katie Huggins Demo News 3 Lifestyle

02 Mar: Alabama Employee Beats Sickle Cell Disease, Hopes to Inspire Others

JonTavius Lake was born with Sickle Cell Disease, and for 22 years his life was filled with consistent pain.

“As Sickle Cell warriors, we have to learn how to cope with pain every second of our lives,” he said. “It’s a blood disease, so you can have pain anywhere blood travels in your body.”

But now JonTavius — an employee at our Best Buy store in Tuscaloosa, Alabama — is free of excruciating pain and motivated to help others. He recently became the first person in Alabama to be cured of the disease through a clinical trial of haploidentical full-matched bone marrow transplant.

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